The pale gray of morning crept through the broken windows, painting the room in cold light. Rory stirred first, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, then leaned over and gave Arthur a nudge.
"Arthur… hey. Sun's up."
Arthur shifted under his coat, blinking awake. He sat up slow, his joints creaking like old wood. "Mm… alright, kid. I'm up."
They took a little time to get themselves together. Arthur splashed his face with water from his canteen, wiped the grit from his beard. Rory tightened the straps on his pack and laced his boots. The world outside the walls was quiet, but not in the kind of way that felt safe — just waiting.
As Arthur was tying down his bedroll to the horse's side, Rory's voice cut through the silence.
"Arthur…" He hesitated, chewing the inside of his cheek. "…am I a burden to you?"
Arthur stopped what he was doing and looked at him. The boy's eyes wouldn't quite meet his.
Arthur took a long breath, then knelt a little so they were closer to level. "Listen here. You ain't a burden. Not to me." His tone was steady, firm. "Truth is, I been given somethin' I don't got much say in. A responsibility. And once I've got one o' those… I see it through. Always."
Rory frowned. "Responsibility…"
Arthur gave a small nod. "That's right. Clayton and Meeve— they asked me with their dyin' breaths to take care of you. That ain't somethin' I'll run from. You're still standin', boy. That means you matter. And it means I got a job to do."
The words lingered heavy in the cold air, but not in a hopeless way. Rory finally looked up, his expression caught somewhere between guilt and gratitude.
"…Guess I'll try not to make your job too hard, then."
Arthur gave the faintest smirk, patting the boy's shoulder. "Reckon that's all I can ask."
They saddled up proper — Rory climbing carefully behind Arthur on the horse, gripping the back of his coat. Arthur took one last look at the skyline of the city ahead, its glass towers jagged and lifeless against the morning sky.
"Alright," he muttered, spurring the horse toward the road. "Let's go find out what's waitin' for us."